Leigh Man in Rebellion against King Edward (1320s)

Leigh man in Rebellion against King Edward (1320s)

In the early 1320s King Edward II was in dispute with many of the barons of England. After defeating the rebellious barons at the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1324, Edward ordered the seizure of lands belonging to many of the rebels. This national dispute had repercussions in Leigh where Thomas Colpeper (a rebel) owned a considerable amount of land. The following shows that local people took the opportunity of the national chaos to gain personal advantage:

‘Emma de Tappenese asked that the official in charge of seizing the land of Thomas Colpeper give her back property which the said Thomas had illegally taken from her. This property was described as: 80 acres of land, 5.5 acres of meadow, 100 acres of wood, 6s 8d of wood, a rent of 1 cock, 3 hens and 40 eggs in Leigh. After royal officials examined the relevant documents they declared that the property did belong to Emma de Tappenese and they were restored to her hands.’

(Parish Magazine April 1995: no author given but probably Lawrence Biddle)